Andy is responsible for igniting a love of reading in millions of kids. It’s a complex alchemy, but bum jokes have played a large part in it. From The Day My Bum Went Psycho to the hugely popular Treehouse series (which he created with longtime collaborator Terry Denton and which was edited by his wife Jill), Andy has written wild, boundless and very funny adventures that have drawn many kids into the beautiful escapism of books who otherwise may have missed out.

With more than 30 books to his name (and as an ex-school teacher), Andy has become an expert in delving into young minds, and knowing what is going to excite, amaze and keep them turning the page. So we were very excited to chat to Andy and see what he might have gleaned from his unique vantage point as a kids author, and of course from his own dadding journey.  

Andy is extremely humble, but passes on some wonderful wisdom and also shares perhaps one of the best ideas we’ve heard for the gathering and preserving family lore. The Family Book. It’s near the end of the chat, so listen out for it!

Andy is a big believer in creating space for kids to be who they are, not who we want them to be (a familiar refrain we hear from our learned guests dad) and tries to practise a simple ethos through it all.  Loving What Is - because that’s what’s happening!  Great words to live by, for sure.

Massive thanks to Andy - we loved this chat.  You can find out lots more about Andy HERE and find his new book, The Land of Lost ThingsHERE.

—

And if you love family adventures, hit the road and take one!  But before you do, get in touch with our best friends and the exclusive sponsor of How Other Dads Dad… HERTZ.  Visit hertz.com.au/hodd to access an exclusive 25% off the base day rate for your next car hire.  T&Cs and exclusions apply. Not all Hertz Locations offer this special discount rate.

Andy is responsible for igniting a love of reading in millions of kids. It’s a complex alchemy, but bum jokes have played a large part in it. From The Day My Bum Went Psycho to the hugely popular Treehouse series (which he created with longtime collaborator Terry Denton and which was edited by his wife Jill), Andy has written wild, boundless and very funny adventures that have drawn many kids into the beautiful escapism of books who otherwise may have missed out.
With more than 30 books to his name (and as an ex-school teacher), Andy has become an expert in delving into young minds, and knowing what is going to excite, amaze and keep them turning the page. So we were very excited to chat to Andy and see what he might have gleaned from his unique vantage point as a kids author, and of course from his own dadding journey.  
Andy is extremely humble, but passes on some wonderful wisdom and also shares perhaps one of the best ideas we’ve heard for the gathering and preserving family lore. The Family Book. It’s near the end of the chat, so listen out for it!
Andy is a big believer in creating space for kids to be who they are, not who we want them to be (a familiar refrain we hear from our learned guests dad) and tries to practise a simple ethos through it all.  Loving What Is - because that’s what’s happening!  Great words to live by, for sure.
Massive thanks to Andy - we loved this chat.  You can find out lots more about Andy <a href="https://andygriffiths.com.au/">HERE</a> and find his new book, The Land of Lost Things <a href="https://andygriffiths.com.au/adventures-unlimited-series/the-land-of-lost-things/">HERE</a>.
—
And if you love family adventures, hit the road and take one!  But before you do, get in touch with our best friends and the exclusive sponsor of How Other Dads Dad… HERTZ.  Visit <a href="http://hertz.com.au/hodd">hertz.com.au/hodd</a> to access an exclusive 25% off the base day rate for your next car hire.  T&amp;Cs and exclusions apply. Not all Hertz Locations offer this special discount rate.

Hamish Blake chats with other dads he really admires (and whose phone number he had relatively easy access to) about their approach to dadding, and in the process hopefully learn a little, steal some of their hard earned wisdom and help us all dad a tiny bit better.

Hamish Blake chats with other dads he really admires (and whose phone number he had relatively easy access to) about their approach to dadding, and in the process hopefully learn a little, steal some of their hard earned wisdom and help us all dad a tiny bit better.

How Other Dads Dad with Hamish Blake

How Andy Griffiths Dads - Bum jokes, imagination and loving what is

An awesome outdoorsy special, with inspirational outdoor specialist, Rick Petersen. Rick featured in Season 2 of Alone Australia, and quickly became a fan fave (especially for Hame), with his unwavering positivity in the face of huge adversity and very little food!

Beyond trying to stay alive on Alone, using his skills as an ex-soldier and expedition leader in the NT, Rick currently runs weekend camps for people looking to reconnect with the outdoors, including a special focus on dads and sons. As you’ll find out, the deeper purpose beyond learning to build shelters and start a fire is Rick’s passion to bring people together and foster powerful intergenerational connections, and Rick is a master at this.  

We were lucky enough to experience this with Rick! He invited us up to QLD (or maybe we invited ourselves?) and we took the kids out bush for a few days, and it was just magic. His love and deep knowledge of nature, his calmness, his equanimity… It was amazing to witness the effect on our kids. 

But we also eventually remembered we were there to record an episode, and wow… are we glad we did. Rick is so full of quiet, thoughtful wisdom, often hard earned and we just know so many people are going to get a lot from this chat. Rick, with amazing courage, also reflected on his childhood and revealed that tragically it involved him being the victim of child sexual abuse, so just a heads up that does come up in this episode. (support services listed below)

Rick’s openness and kindness is just so inspiring. The way he’s made his life about giving back to the community, the beautiful relationship he has with his wife and two sons… it was a real privilege to spend time with him, and we reckon you’ll feel the same way after listening to this.

Sincere thanks to Rick. What a legend. And if you’re interested in joining Rick for a weekend like this, go to rickjpetersen.com - We literally can’t recommend it enough.

PS - You can find heaps of awesome Rick TikTok content HERE and follow him on Insta HERE.

PPS - if you wanna see just how full on the cliffs were on Tasman island where Rick spent the first few years of his life… Have a look HERE.  Crazy!

——

SUPPORT SERVICES

Information relating to child safety and protection may bring up strong feelings for some people. Remember, you are not alone. If you need assistance or support, contact details for dedicated support services are below.

You can get support for you or anyone you know that has been affected by child sexual abuse at Bravehearts.org.au or Free Call 1800 272 831 - an organisation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of Child Sexual abuse that also offers counciling and education. 

You can also go to www.childsafety.gov.au/get-support to see a wide range of support services.

If you or a child are in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

Information on reporting child safety concerns can be found on the Child Safety Make a report page.

And Life Line is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14

-----------------

Big thanks to HERTZ for helping make this special outdoorsy episode happen.  We used a couple of top-notch, brand new HERTZ 4WD’s to lug all our gear and kids into the bush to camp with Rick, and of course the service was amazing, the kid’s car seats were pre-fitted, the cars were sparkling clean (not by the end!) and the pick-up and drop-off experience was a breeze. HERTZ - It’s car rental made extra special.

Head to hertz.com.au/hodd to access an exclusive 25% off the base day rate for your next adventure.  T&Cs and exclusions apply. Not all Hertz Locations offer this special discount rate.

An awesome outdoorsy special, with inspirational outdoor specialist, Rick Petersen. Rick featured in Season 2 of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/alone-australia/season-2">Alone Australia</a>, and quickly became a fan fave (especially for Hame), with his unwavering positivity in the face of huge adversity and very little food!
Beyond trying to stay alive on Alone, using his skills as an ex-soldier and expedition leader in the NT, Rick currently runs weekend camps for people looking to reconnect with the outdoors, including a special focus on dads and sons. As you’ll find out, the deeper purpose beyond learning to build shelters and start a fire is Rick’s passion to bring people together and foster powerful intergenerational connections, and Rick is a master at this.  
We were lucky enough to experience this with Rick! He invited us up to QLD (or maybe we invited ourselves?) and we took the kids out bush for a few days, and it was just magic. His love and deep knowledge of nature, his calmness, his equanimity… It was amazing to witness the effect on our kids. 
But we also eventually remembered we were there to record an episode, and wow… are we glad we did. Rick is so full of quiet, thoughtful wisdom, often hard earned and we just know so many people are going to get a lot from this chat. Rick, with amazing courage, also reflected on his childhood and revealed that tragically it involved him being the victim of child sexual abuse, so just a heads up that does come up in this episode. (support services listed below)
Rick’s openness and kindness is just so inspiring. The way he’s made his life about giving back to the community, the beautiful relationship he has with his wife and two sons… it was a real privilege to spend time with him, and we reckon you’ll feel the same way after listening to this.
Sincere thanks to Rick. What a legend. And if you’re interested in joining Rick for a weekend like this, go to <a href="http://rickjpetersen.com">rickjpetersen.com</a> - We literally can’t recommend it enough.
PS - You can find heaps of awesome Rick TikTok content <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rickjpetersen?lang=en">HERE</a> and follow him on Insta <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rickjpetersen/">HERE</a>.
PPS - if you wanna see just how full on the cliffs were on Tasman island where Rick spent the first few years of his life… Have a look <a href="https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/hobart/tasman-island.html">HERE</a>.  Crazy!
——
SUPPORT SERVICES
Information relating to child safety and protection may bring up strong feelings for some people. Remember, you are not alone. If you need assistance or support, contact details for dedicated support services are below.
You can get support for you or anyone you know that has been affected by child sexual abuse at <a href="http://bravehearts.org.au">Bravehearts.org.au</a> or Free Call 1800 272 831 - an organisation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of Child Sexual abuse that also offers counciling and education. 
You can also go to <a href="http://www.childsafety.gov.au/get-support">www.childsafety.gov.au/get-support</a> to see a wide range of support services.
If you or a child are in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Information on reporting child safety concerns can be found on the Child Safety <a href="https://www.childsafety.gov.au/node/1169">Make a report</a> page.
And <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">Life Line</a> is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14
-----------------
Big thanks to HERTZ for helping make this special outdoorsy episode happen.  We used a couple of top-notch, brand new HERTZ 4WD’s to lug all our gear and kids into the bush to camp with Rick, and of course the service was amazing, the kid’s car seats were pre-fitted, the cars were sparkling clean (not by the end!) and the pick-up and drop-off experience was a breeze. HERTZ - It’s car rental made extra special.
Head to <a href="http://hertz.com.au/hodd">hertz.com.au/hodd</a> to access an exclusive 25% off the base day rate for your next adventure.  T&amp;Cs and exclusions apply. Not all Hertz Locations offer this special discount rate.

How Rick J Petersen Dads - Survival tips for living a life connected (not Alone)

As a long time host of Play School, Luke’s probably spent more time entertaining kids than any of us ever will! But beyond that, he’s an amazingly accomplished actor… from getting his start on the kids show Lift Off! back in the early 90s, to being a regular on the awesome Redfern Now and more recently in the big budget adaption of The Artful Dodger on Disney+, not to mention a tonne of amazing theatre over the years.

Luke is super generous and frank in this chat, talking openly about what it was like to have a kid really young, the powerful role his mum played in his life, and also talking honestly about his new blended family, the amazing joy that has brought him and his two sons and the deep love he has for his step-daughters... but also some of the unique challenges they have all had to navigate.  

As you’ll hear, Luke brings such positivity and fun to his parenting, but it’s also obvious he understands that tenacity and sacrifice is a big part of it too… We get the feeling Luke leaves it all on the field when it comes to dadding. It was beautiful to hear him talk with such passion, and we are sure you’ll agree.

PS - we recorded this episode a while ago, and Luke has since tied the knot and made his blended family official!  Huge congrats to Luke!!  

Luke is in a bunch of stuff at the moment, including The Artful Dodger on Disney + and you’ll soon find him in the upcoming season 2 of SCRUBLANDS on Stan (and of course on Play School)

Thanks as always to you guys for listening - you can get in touch at howotherdadsdad.com

—

And big thanks to HERTZ who are back as our exclusive sponsor in season 3.  And just like us, Hertz are all about making memories and having adventures.  So if you need a great car to complete your next family getaway, head to hertz.com.au/hodd for a great discount. Terms and conditions do apply.  See the website for details on these, as some exclusions do apply.

As a long time host of Play School, Luke’s probably spent more time entertaining kids than any of us ever will! But beyond that, he’s an amazingly accomplished actor… from getting his start on the kids show Lift Off! back in the early 90s, to being a regular on the awesome Redfern Now and more recently in the big budget adaption of The Artful Dodger on Disney+, not to mention a tonne of amazing theatre over the years.
Luke is super generous and frank in this chat, talking openly about what it was like to have a kid really young, the powerful role his mum played in his life, and also talking honestly about his new blended family, the amazing joy that has brought him and his two sons and the deep love he has for his step-daughters... but also some of the unique challenges they have all had to navigate.  
As you’ll hear, Luke brings such positivity and fun to his parenting, but it’s also obvious he understands that tenacity and sacrifice is a big part of it too… We get the feeling Luke leaves it all on the field when it comes to dadding. It was beautiful to hear him talk with such passion, and we are sure you’ll agree.
PS - we recorded this episode a while ago, and Luke has since tied the knot and made his blended family official!  Huge congrats to Luke!!  
Luke is in a bunch of stuff at the moment, including T<a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/en-au/series/the-artful-dodger/OVaLog2e2EIW">he Artful Dodger</a> on Disney + and you’ll soon find him in the upcoming season 2 of <a href="https://www.stan.com.au/watch/scrublands?ds_rl=1263226&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADJeREVGZ1d5jyLZ-x4OgOHBQ_EzX&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw7Py4BhCbARIsAMMx-_JbcZAVkdKdwWZWNVG3-qOeuJY8vGUL56u_FpMm5vkRlIYaFFOEXngaAuokEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">SCRUBLANDS</a> on Stan (and of course on <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/play-school">Play School</a>)
Thanks as always to you guys for listening - you can get in touch at <a href="http://howotherdadsdad.com">howotherdadsdad.com</a>
—
And big thanks to HERTZ who are back as our exclusive sponsor in season 3.  And just like us, Hertz are all about making memories and having adventures.  So if you need a great car to complete your next family getaway, head to <a href="http://hertz.com.au/hodd">hertz.com.au/hodd</a> for a great discount. Terms and conditions do apply.  See the website for details on these, as some exclusions do apply.

How Luke Carroll Dads - The “beautiful challenge” of parenting in a blended family and what Play School has taught him about kids

When you push your limits and things get a little uncomfortable, you often learn something about yourself.  When you repeatedly do it for years, we reckon you must learn some universal truths about humans and how we tick. As a professional adventure racer, Nathan has spent much of his adult life pushing his physical and mental boundaries and helping those in his racing team do the same. 

Hame came across Nathan watching World’s Toughest Race on Amazon, which Nathan and the Kiwi team won by some margin. But it was the fact they did it with so little fuss that struck Hame and made him want to get in touch with Nathan.  (It must have annoyed the TV producers so much that the winning team was seemingly doing it with no drama! Kiwi’s don’t get worked up enough to make good reality TV!)

But beyond adventure racing Nathan has been an outdoor educator, team building consultant and event producer, helping people of all backgrounds safely push their limits in the outdoors.  So, when he and his wife Jodie had kids they saw no reason to change things, and have been taking their kids on, in Nathan’s words, “epic adventures” from a very young age.

But this chat is not just for outdoorsy adventurey types, Nathan’s wisdom can be universally applied. He explains how he tries to incorporate the same philosophies as captain of the NZ adventure racing team as he does at home - Offer respect and composure at all times, no matter what, to ensure that communication is always open. To have a strong team you need to know how people are feeling and no one opens up to an erratic yeller!

Nathan also beautifully explains how his Samoan heritage helps him bring “Polynesian chill” to his parenting and problem solving, how he and his wife helped each other develop their own individual parenting styles, and how he fosters independence and freedom for his kids, while offering support at every step.

Like all our great guests, Nathan is the first to admit he hasn't got it perfect, or even close. But as he says, your family is your most important team, and the commitment he shows to his is clear.  We really loved spending time with Nathan, he’s an inspirational guy and we can’t thank him enough for taking the time to come over to Wellington and have a chat. (And his no questions asked cancellation clause in the event of good powder skiing was equally inspiring, and readily agreed to by us!)

You can find out more about Nathan HERE.  And if you like getting outdoors and still eating tasty food, check out Nathan’s REAL MEALS - awesome tasting and nutritionally great freeze dried food for adventurers. And yes, they ship to Aus.

You can get in touch with us at howotherdadsdad.com - we love to hear from you, and thanks to all of you that have written in.

—

And as always, big thanks to our friends at HERTZ.  For this adventure across the ditch we took our kids and lots of gear, and to make our trip seamless and hassle free we used HERTZ.  The pick up at the airport in Wellington was a breeze, the cars were sparkling clean, smelled great, the kids seats were pre-fitted and dropping it back was equally straightforward.  If you’ve got an adventure planned in Australia, go to hertz.com.au/hoddwhere you can grab a 25% discount off the base rate. T&Cs and exclusions apply - see website for details.

When you push your limits and things get a little uncomfortable, you often learn something about yourself.  When you repeatedly do it for years, we reckon you must learn some universal truths about humans and how we tick. As a professional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_racing">adventure racer</a>, Nathan has spent much of his adult life pushing his physical and mental boundaries and helping those in his racing team do the same. 
Hame came across Nathan watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEoRSXMv4yQ">World’s Toughest Race</a> on <a href="https://www.primevideo.com/region/fe/detail/0S3RUAE7PENT6OAZOVDWZIL6JI/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_Tn74RA_1_1_1?sr=1-1&amp;pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&amp;pageTypeId=B08B8WXG5D&amp;qid=1729554556433">Amazon</a>, which Nathan and the Kiwi team won by some margin. But it was the fact they did it with so little fuss that struck Hame and made him want to get in touch with Nathan.  (It must have annoyed the TV producers so much that the winning team was seemingly doing it with no drama! Kiwi’s don’t get worked up enough to make good reality TV!)
But beyond adventure racing Nathan has been an outdoor educator, team building consultant and event producer, helping people of all backgrounds safely push their limits in the outdoors.  So, when he and his wife Jodie had kids they saw no reason to change things, and have been taking their kids on, in Nathan’s words, “epic adventures” from a very young age.
But this chat is not just for outdoorsy adventurey types, Nathan’s wisdom can be universally applied. He explains how he tries to incorporate the same philosophies as captain of the NZ adventure racing team as he does at home - Offer respect and composure at all times, no matter what, to ensure that communication is always open. To have a strong team you need to know how people are feeling and no one opens up to an erratic yeller!
Nathan also beautifully explains how his Samoan heritage helps him bring “Polynesian chill” to his parenting and problem solving, how he and his wife helped each other develop their own individual parenting styles, and how he fosters independence and freedom for his kids, while offering support at every step.
Like all our great guests, Nathan is the first to admit he hasn't got it perfect, or even close. But as he says, your family is your most important team, and the commitment he shows to his is clear.  We really loved spending time with Nathan, he’s an inspirational guy and we can’t thank him enough for taking the time to come over to Wellington and have a chat. (And his no questions asked cancellation clause in the event of good powder skiing was equally inspiring, and readily agreed to by us!)
You can find out more about Nathan <a href="https://nathanfaavae.nz/intro">HERE</a>.  And if you like getting outdoors and still eating tasty food, check out Nathan’s <a href="https://realmeals.co.nz">REAL MEALS</a> - awesome tasting and nutritionally great freeze dried food for adventurers. And yes, they ship to Aus.
You can get in touch with us at howotherdadsdad.com - we love to hear from you, and thanks to all of you that have written in.
—
And as always, big thanks to our friends at HERTZ.  For this adventure across the ditch we took our kids and lots of gear, and to make our trip seamless and hassle free we used HERTZ.  The pick up at the airport in Wellington was a breeze, the cars were sparkling clean, smelled great, the kids seats were pre-fitted and dropping it back was equally straightforward.  If you’ve got an adventure planned in Australia, go to <a href="http://hertz.com.au/hodd">hertz.com.au/hodd</a> where you can grab a 25% discount off the base rate. T&amp;Cs and exclusions apply - see website for details.

How Andy Griffiths Dads - Bum jokes, imagination and loving what is

In 1 playlist(s)

How Other Dads Dad with Hamish Blake

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips